Welcome to Building Loved Businesses. I’m Nathan Schock, and I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of business leaders grow their companies with fewer growing pains. Each week on this podcast, I sit down with entrepreneurs who are building businesses their employees love to work for, their customers love doing business with, and their communities love to support.
These businesses may not always be household names outside their regions, but within their communities, they’re trusted, respected, and—most importantly—loved.
This week, I had the pleasure of talking with Pierce Lohman, founder of Lowman Earthworks in the Quad Cities. His company has grown from a teenage lawn-mowing hustle to a full-service outdoor living business that designs, builds, and maintains pools, patios, landscapes, and entire backyard transformations.
From Mowing Yards to Managing Crews
Pierce started mowing lawns as a 14-year-old, getting dropped off by his dad or mom at properties that stretched across a few acres. What began as a way to stay busy in the summers turned into something much bigger. By the time he was in high school, he was running four days a week of mowing and a couple days of landscaping.
When he went to college at the University of Iowa, Pierce was still running crews back home, managing payroll and projects on weekends while juggling a full course load during the week. He even got his first taste of business crisis management when one of his crews crashed a truck and trailer—while he was sitting in class.
It wasn’t the typical college experience, but for Pierce, it laid the groundwork for entrepreneurship.
A Crossroads: Job Offer or Entrepreneurship
After graduation, Pierce faced a tough decision. He had a job offer in Austin, Texas, with a salary far higher than what he was making in his own business at the time. But in his gut, he knew that long-term, building his own company would be more rewarding.
That decision—to take the risk and double down on Lowman Earthworks—changed everything.
The Grind and the Growth
Like most entrepreneurial journeys, the early days after college were filled with long hours and uncertainty. Pierce lived at home, worked with his friends on crews, and poured everything into getting the company off the ground.
Over time, Lowman Earthworks began to evolve. What started as mowing and landscaping grew into larger, more complex projects. Customers began asking for pools, patios, and complete backyard makeovers. Instead of saying no, Pierce and his team leaned into the challenge, learned new skills, and built partnerships with suppliers and experts who trained their crews.
That willingness to grow alongside customer demand became a key driver of their expansion.
Building a Team and Stepping Back
As the company grew, Pierce realized he couldn’t do everything himself. He started hiring top-notch foremen, landscape designers, and sales staff—people who could take ownership of their roles and bring fresh expertise.
It wasn’t easy stepping back from being in the field every day, but it allowed him to grow from “the guy mowing lawns” into the leader of a 17-person company. And he’s still building a culture where the office staff isn’t afraid to jump in the dirt and work alongside the crews when needed.
Investing in Growth
Another big turning point came when Lowman Earthworks moved out of its cramped garage and into a dedicated facility with a nursery, showroom, and office space. Suddenly, they could bring clients on-site, showcase materials, and give them a professional experience that set them apart from competitors.
It was a big risk—trading a paid-off $40,000 garage for a half-million-dollar facility—but it’s one that paid off, both in credibility and efficiency.
Culture, Quality, and the Future
Today, Lowman Earthworks is known across the Quad Cities not just for beautiful outdoor spaces, but for the way they treat their employees and customers. Pierce has built a culture of honesty, personal connection, and a willingness to innovate—from video walkthroughs that set clear expectations for clients to Friday barbecues with the crew.
Looking ahead, Pierce has his sights set on becoming the biggest and best landscaping and outdoor living company in the Quad Cities. But for him, it’s not just about growth—it’s about controlled growth that doesn’t sacrifice quality or culture.
As he put it, “We want to keep growing, but not every job is for us. It’s about finding the right projects, the right people, and never losing the passion that got us here.”
That’s the story of Pierce Lohman and Lowman Earthworks—a story of risk, grit, and the kind of growth that only comes when you care deeply about the people you serve.
If you enjoyed this story, make sure to subscribe to Building Loved Businesses. Every week, we uncover more stories like Pierce’s—businesses built with love, for people who love what they do.